KIPG 2025: Paralympians Rubina Francis, Swaroop Mahavir Unhalkar miss gold medals

Paris 2024 Paralympian Rubina was beaten by Uttar Pradesh's Sumedha Pathak in the women's 10m air pistol SH1 event, while Tokyo 2020 Paralympian Swaroop Mahavir Unhalkar of Maharashtra was upset by state mate Sagar Balasaheb Katale in the mixed 10m air rifle prone SH1 event. Unhalkar had won the 10m air rifle standing SH1 event on Saturday.

In the third final on Sunday, Telangana's Satya Janar won gold in the mixed 10m air rifle prone SH2. He was followed by Haryana's Monika (silver) and Vijay Singh from Rajasthan for the bronze.

All eyes were on Rubina, a bronze medallist at Paris 2024. The women's 10m air pistol SH1 event was a close affair. Sumedha and Rubina received a lot of competition from Nisha Kanwar of Rajasthan and Anita Kumari of Jammu and Kashmir.

Eventually, Sumedha won the gold with a score of 237.5, while Rubina, representing Madhya Pradesh, won silver with 223.6 and Anita bronze with 208.5.

"It feels very good to turn my silver to gold in this event. It is quite a competition with Rubina, but I am glad to win the top prize this time around," the 28-year-old Sumedha told SAI Media.

Sumedha is wheelchair-bound from Class 10 after suffering a spinal cord injury. She took up shooting in 2018 and has not looked back since then.

Speaking about the Khelo India Para Games, Sumedha said, "For a shooter, this is a very important platform as it gives the national shooters the same platform that they would receive at an international level. This exposure is key to their future development, and I am glad to be a part of this competition."

Rubina had created history in Paris. She became the first Indian woman to clinch a Paralympic medal in pistol shooting. Rubina suffers from clubfoot - a congenital foot deformity where the foot is twisted inward and downward.

Speaking about KIPG 2025, she said, as quoted from a press release by SAI Media, "The introduction of the Khelo India Para Games has proven beneficial, especially financially, for the para-athletes. Many of my fellow para shooters were appreciative of the opportunities that this tournament has provided, proving that it is a good thing that the government has introduced this initiative."

Rubina is part of the sports ministry's Target Olympic Podium Scheme. Having secured gold in the first edition of the Khelo India Para Games in December 2023, Rubina said, "Last time I won gold, so it is a little bit disappointing. I have issues with my body also. But despite this, I have been able to cope with every struggle and pain, so I'm happy with my performance. Hence, I'm satisfied with that."

In the mixed 10m air rifle prone SH1 event, Katale claimed the gold medal with a score of 251.3. Rajasthan's Mona Agarwal (250.9) edged Haryana's Deepak Saini (229.9) to secure her second silver medal in the Khelo India Para Games. Unhalkar finished eighth in this event.

Katale, who lost the ability to walk at birth, said, "It was a great experience because everything that I worked on during my training worked well. So, I am very proud of my performance today." (ANI)